A special day in a girl's life is when she first falls in love, first kissed a boy, first…read moreheartache, graduations, 18th birthday, wedding proposals but nothing beats "Getting Married". I told myself that I wouldn't get married to my boyfriend before (my high school sweetheart) until we have everything we need to start a family. Even though love is so true, I still didn't think that marrying before thirty was a good idea...but because love was indeed so strong and so pure, I walked down the aisle when I was 25 years old. Five years earlier than my estimated time to get married, haha. Since my husband and I grew up in Las Pinas and almost all that we know resides in this city too, we decided that it's only right to do the wedding here. We looked at amazing venues and decided that Ysabel's Garden was the place to be.On the biggest day of my life, the place was beautifully set up and felt surreal; more of like the wedding was being done in a magical garden, roses were everywhere and the elegant tables and chairs were set up neatly and professionally. The food was incredible and even during picture taking with newlyweds; guests would say their best wishes followed up by praising the food. It was an unforgettable night and I was very satisfied with the service, the ambience and the overall scenario. Truly one of the most cherished moments in my life.

This used to be Queensland Catering's exclusive venue for their events, but I think they're now…read moreopen to just renting this space out to other events with different caterers. On the ground floor is their showroom where you can take a peek at how they style their more upscale events, and an entrance to their vast garden (can accommodate up to 300 guests), two smaller function rooms are available at the second floor, and another bigger one at the third floor (for around 150 persons). My mom celebrated her 50th birthday there, and she felt like a blooming debutante as she walked down the spiral stairs from her dressing room (which is quite nice and comfy) as her guests welcomed her in the garden. I recently attended another event at the third floor, and I saw that they have updated their look, with damask table cloths and glass (glass-looking, but they're actually plastic) chairs. The place already looks elegant even with minimal styling.

This place is absouletly satisfying venue for our wedding. Its not only satisfied us but surpass…read moreour expectation. Yes, first time we saw the venue its like a Sanctuary place where you can find solemn ambiance yet very clean venue. Another good points here is the owner of the venue, Salute to you Sir Boyd and Mam Rose They are very appoachable in our inquiries until the end of our wedding. The food are very delicious and very presentable. A week after our wedding we still receiving good feedback on our family, friends and colleagues for having Mangohills as our venue on our Special Day. They are praising everytime the venue even our photographer Morallinni Creative Studio for delivering an excellent effort. Cheers to all the man behind Mangohills! From the bottom of our hearts we pray that you continue to inspire other clients like us. You bring a very good memory on us. Thank you so much! We love you Sir Boyd and Mam Rose. -Nard and Lyn 11/30/2018

From the owner: One of the best rated garden wedding venues south of Metro Manila. A serene but affordable wedding…read morereception venue, debut venue, and venue for all occasions. For 15 years, Mango Hills has been helping people achieve their dream weddings at an affordable budget.

My cousin had her ceremony and reception here and it was beautiful. I loved how the place felt like…read morea giant garden. As soon as you enter the place you are greeted my vines and walls of flowers and trees. The outside is surrounded by plants and a stream as well. My only complaints are that it seems a little old.....they could have spent time updating the building. There were visible cracks and such in the walls and ceilings. Personally.....I also did not like the flow of things. There were various weddings and parties occurring at the same time and little direction from staff on where to go. I was lost for about 5 mins because the guard at the front refused to give me detailed directions on where my cousins wedding was....I missed the beginning of the ceremony. Other than that the place really is beautiful.

If you happen to pass by Daang Hari road in Las Pinas, you'll be greeted by a picturesque view of a…read morebig glass dome structure. That's Fernbrook Gardens, one of the most coveted events venues here in Manila. It's perfect for those princess-themed parties and fairy tale weddings. The cost for the rent of the venue (it has four fully air conditioned function rooms) is pretty steep, but some brides don't mind as long as they can have their happy ever after at that Byzantine-inspired castle. It's convenient for weddings because there's a beautiful chapel (Notre Dame de Vie Chapel) inside. And if they have some money to spare, they can avail of the gondola ride (it's so perfect for photo shoots) for an extra fee. Two of my friends got married there, and even guests like me felt like royalty. A maiden dressed in a puffy medieval dress greets you and the doorman plays the trumpet upon your entrance. They were so in character that they still played the trumpet even when they saw me pass three times, I had to stop them on the fourth one. If you want to check the place out, masses are celebrated in the chapel every Sunday morning.

One of the nicest places in Las Piñas. I used to think nothing of condo living until this place…read morewas built in our city. While I do not own a unit there, I could describe it to you more as a guest. A Tita lives there therefore giving us the privilege to enter the premises and use their facilities (it's exclusive to members/unit owners and guests only). Probably the highlight and selling point of this place is the pool area. Their swimming pool is so big, it can compete with other swimming pools in the five-star hotels in Manila. It looks really nice, and surrounded with lush greenery and relaxing day beds, you might even forget that you're in Las Piñas. On days when I dream of the beach but planning an out of town trip would seem too exhausting, going there with my daughter is the best substitute. Near the pool is the clubhouse, which has some lounge areas, a small gym, a KTV room, and a function room. It almost feels like a vacation place, except that they don't serve or sell food in the club house. It's okay, you can bring a caterer for events (as long as the member vouches for their entry), or call for delivery at some of the dining establishments nearby.

I went to Nature's Church yesterday again after failing to visit after more than a year, and I…read morecan't believe I've forgotten how beautiful this place was. From its entrance down to the minutest details, this church has the whole nature concept established. The altar and pews are made of fallen trees, Capiz lanterns shaped as doves accentuate the Anahaw ceiling. Surrounded by lush tropical plants and under a canopy of mango trees, Nature's Church is one of the nicest, most unique churches I've seen here in Manila. This place caught fire a few years ago, but it's wonderful how they have still restored its beauty. The church looks magnificent, but I'm assuming it's not that popular for weddings because it has no long aisle in the middle. The small chapel at the entrance of the church, the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, is even more breathtaking. It's so quaint and intimate; I remember wishing I got married here. I should really come here more often, and take my daughter with me because she'll definitely love roaming around here while we're hearing mass.

It's always nice utilizing a new venue, especially one that's not too fancy, as there is more…read morepotential to execute ideas for events. Different looks and themes can easily suit simple venues, thus making it more versatile and could easily be offered to clients. This is the case with Blue Leaf Filipinas. Conveniently located along Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, it has several halls that could accommodate more than one thousand guests if all function halls are utilized. There are also smaller function rooms on the second floor and an al fresco area which could also be used. Just recently, our group had organized a social event to celebrate Chinese New Year at Blue Leaf Filipinas. We utilized all three halls and had 800 guests, set-up for dragon dancers, trussing for aerial dancers, plus a grand stage. Despite all this, it was still quite spacious. Considering there were so many people, it remained relatively cold in the venue and despite a good percentage of guests who had a little more alcohol than they could take, the toilets were kept clean and orderly by the maintenance personnel.

I've attended a lot of weddings over the years and aside from the food and celebration of my…read morefriends' eternal vows of love for each other, I always look forward to the venue. For me a venue is integral to the celebration especially since guests will be coming in from different parts of the city and their comfort and accessibility is one of the priorities in my list. The Blue Leaf Filipinas is one of the venues I highly recommend. I've attended a wedding here just last February and I was glad they chose that venue. They have a huge garden for cocktails while guests wait to enter the function rooms or have their pictures taken at the photo booth if available. The function room is big enough without being too crowded and has enough room for a dance floor. The venue also offers ample parking space and a valet service, which is definitely a must for me. If you're willing to shell out some good cash for your wedding or any event, I highly suggest The Blue Leaf Filipinas for this.